Telephone-indicator.



T. L. SAVIN. TELEPHONE INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 191a.

1,81,990, Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LITTLETON SAVIN, OF PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS.

TELEPHONE-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

Application filed January 9, 1913. Serial No. 741,041.

new and useful Improvements in Telephone- Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a telephone indicator.

The practice of various telephone users, particularly physicians, of leavin their offices and telephones unattended while they make a visit or a series of visits to various predetermined points where other telephones are located is comparatively common and well known. It necessarily results that attempts are made to reach the telephone subscriber while he is thus absent, and owing to the fact that it is often impossible to locate him, he loses a considerable amount of business and frequently a clerk or other attendant is hired and maintained for the sole purpose of answering the telephone when the subscriber is absent and informing the various persons who call as to where the subscriber may be reached.

The function of the device which is the subject of this invention is to transmit to the various arties who ma attempt to call the unatten ed telephone, t e knowledge as to the present whereabouts of the subscriber and particularly the number of the telephone at which he may be called at that time.

The deviceconsists of means for closin the telephone circuit when the unattende station where the indicator is located is called, and adjustable means for producing a series of sounds in the neighborhood of the transmitter so that they can be heard by central or the person calling, the sounds being variously arranged as to interval, number, etc., in accordance with a predetermined code to indicate any particular telephone station to which it'is desired to direct the attention of the person calling the station or number at which the indicator is placed. The mechanism of the indicator is operated from any suitable source of power as a clock spring or other small motor, and

this device is preferably controlled by the calling mechanism of the telephone as the telephone bell, so that the motor is tripped or started when the number is called and stopped after a fixed period of time.

An apparatus embodying my invention in its preferred form is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a general view of the device 1n the nature of a perspective showing the director incloscd in a casing and in operative position. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the operative parts of the indicator, the casing and horn being removed. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views of diflerent parts of the machine shown in a general way in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, each of which is used to indicate similar or equivalent parts in the different figures, the device consists of a shaft I mounted to rotate in journal bearings 2, 3 and 4, supported upon suitable standards. The shaft carries secured thereto intermediately of its length a toothed pinion 5 which meshes with a gear 6 on a shaft 7. Upon the latter shaft is a clock spring or other suitable small motor 8 which may be wound by means of akey 9, the tension of the s ring imparting to the shaft a constant tendency to rotate. In addition to the pinion 5, the shaft 1 carries, secured thereto to rotate therewith, a cam member 10 having a fiat surface 11 which in the operative position of the director is placed immediately beneath and preferably in contact with the outer end of the receiver arm. The shaft also carries a disk 12, the size of the disk bein preferably proportionate to the size of tlie community in which the indicator is to be used. The disk is provided with a series of pins 13 preferably placed parallel to its axis and normal to the circular face of the disk and spaced apart by equal intervals. The length of this interval is equal to the distance traveled by the pins in a given period of time as one half a second when the apparatus is moving in response to the torque of the spring or motor. Each pin is mounted in a socket 13 to slide into and out of the disk in the direction of the length of the pin so that any pin may be moved in or out at the will of the operator. The pins as shown are arranged 1n a circle concentric with the axis of the disk.

A gong or bell 14 is mounted on any suitable support adjacent the disk and a pivoted striker 15 is provided, having its shank 16 in the path of the pins 13 when extended but so placed that when the pins are withdrawn or disposed Within the disk, they pass free of the shank 16 of the striker lever. A suitable spring 17 tends to impel the striker toward the bell so that the latter receives a resounding tap when the striker is slightly withdrawn and then released. Inclosin the gong l4 and leading to the mouth 0 the transmitter when the director is in operation, is a horn 18. This, as shown, is secured to the cover 19 of the indicator instrument.

The disk 12 is normally held against rotation by'means of a pin 20 carried by the upright 21 secured to the bearing 2. This pin engages a suitable socket 23 in the disk 12 and is. held in engagement with the socket by means of a spring 24. Secured to the end of the pin 20 is a flexible cord 25. This leads over a pulley 26 to the striker arm 27 of the telephone call bell 29.

In the operation of the device the indicator is placed as shown in Fig. 1 with the cam 10 under and in or almost in contact with the receiver lever 11 and the cord 25 connected to the striker 27 The pins 13 are set in an obvious manner to ring the bell 14 in accordance with any chosen code to indicate the number of the telephone nearest the point to which the subscriber expects to journey. When central calls up the station to which the director is applied, the vibration of the striker 27 of the telephone bell Withdraws the pin 20 from the socket 23 in the disk and the latter with its shaft 1 is rotated by the spring or motor 8, swinging the cam 10 and hence liftin the receiver lever 28 and closing the te ephone circuit. As the shaft rotates, the pins 13 which have been'extended come in contact in turn with the shank 16 of the striker 15, and the bell 14 is tapped at intervals in. accordance with the code to indicate the number of the telephone to which the machine is set and adjacent which the owner of the director expects to be found. Thus the person making the call or the central operator is advised as to the number which should be called. When the shaft with the disk valve has made a complete rotation, the pin 20 actuated by its spring 24, again drops into the socket 23 when the socket comes in line and the rotation of the indicator is checked. It will be apparent that at the same time the cam 10 will'have made a complete revolution and the receiver lever 28 will again rest on the flat portion of the cam, that is, it will have swung back to normal position so that and provided menace the telephone circuit is broken. If the signal given is not understood it may be repeated as many times as desired by ringing the call bell 29 in the obvious manner.

I have thus described specifically a single embodiment of my invention in order that its nature and operation maybe clearly understood. However, the specific terms herein are used in their descriptive rather than in their limiting sense and the scope of the invention is defined in the claims.

1. A telephone indicator consisting of means for lifting the receiver temporarily making the telephone circuit, means under the control of the subscriber for producing a variable and selected series of sounds in accordance with a code, a motor for operating said means, and means connected with the alarm or call bell of .the telephone for starting the motor whereby information which the subscriber desires to communicate is conveyed to any person calling his station.

2. In a telephone indicator in combination means for lifting the receiver lever and holding it raised for a predetermined period, a resonant member, a striker, means tending to impel the same against the resonant member a member mounted to rotate placed to move in a single predetermined path but each adjustable into and out of said path, means connected to the striker and extending into the paths of the stops, a

motor for moving the stops and actuating the means for raising the receiving lever, and means connected to the telephone calling device for starting and stopping said motor.

3. A. telephone indicator consisting of a shaft, a motor for rotating the same, a cam actuated by the shaft, means for closing the telephone circuit and actuated by the cam, a series of pins also carried by the shaft spaced apart by a fixed interval to move in a predetermined path, and adjustable into and out of said path, a resonant member, a striker therefor, means connected to the striker to actuate it and extending into the path of the pins, and means actuated by the operator in calling the'station for starting the motor.

4. A telephone indicator consisting of a shaft, a motor for rotating the same, a cam actuated by the shaft, means for closing the telephone circuit and actuated by the cam, a series of pins also carried by the shaft spaced apart by a fixed interval to move in a predetermined path and adjustable into and out of said path, a resonant member, a striker therefor, means connected to the striker to actuate'it and extending into the path of the pins, and means actuated by the operator in calling the telephone station for starting and stopping the motor.

with a plurality I of stops as 5. A tele hone indicator consisting of means for 1i ting the telephone receiver temporarily making the telephone circuit, means under the control of the subscriber for producing a predetermined variable and selected series of sounds in the vicinity of the telephone receiver, a motor for operating said means, and means connected with the telephone call bell for controlling the motor whereby information which the subscriber 10 desires to communicate is conveyed to any person calling his station.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, this 8th day of January 1913.

THOMAS LITTLETON SAVIN. Witnesses:

EDWARD L. BASH, EDWIN F--SAMUELS. 

